Every order placed Thursday - Monday will include a FREE Party Favor. Details coming Thursday morning..

To celebrate our 3rd Birthday, you have 3 WAYS TO WIN!

1. Help Spread the Word! Grab our Birthday Badge from Taylor's blog and post it on your blog for the week. Then come back and leave a comment with a link to your blog to let us know you're spreading the word. You will be entered into a drawing for a $25 TE gift certificate.
2. Join us on Facebook for an early reveal of all the new stamp sets Wednesday night beginning at approximately 6 pm PST. You will have until 8 pm PST that night to comment to enter to win each new set.
3. Join us in our SCS Forum for a contest that will begin Thursday morning. In the meantime you can see Baker's Dozen sneak peeks there and chat with us!

Hello again everyone!! I hope you didn't get too "spooked" out yesterday hopping around!! I sure do LOVE Halloween projects though!! Who am I kidding...Halloween is definitely at the top of my list of favorite holidays! I love Halloween!!! Well, we are taking yet another turn today with our sneaks...to something more Fall. :) Today we are featuring new Petite sets and a la Carte sets!

I got to play with the Autumn Wreath set, another wonderful wreath in addition to the Seasonal Wreaths concepted by Jami Sibley! This gorgeous little number was illustrated by Nancy McKinney with her Whimsical Wishes line and is a Petite set featuring 8 images and sentiments. I colored that gorgeous wreath in with my Copics and paired it with some super yummy new paper from My Mind's Eye Lost & Found Sunshine paper pad.

Now there is most definitely much more to see my friends!! More petites, a new Moka, and new a la Cartes to be seen! Be sure and check them out and I will see you back here tomorrow for the big release/birthday celebration!!!

Every order placed Thursday - Monday will include a FREE Party Favor. Details coming Thursday morning..

To celebrate our 3rd Birthday, you have 3 WAYS TO WIN!

1. Help Spread the Word! Grab our Birthday Badge from Taylor's blog and post it on your blog for the week. Then come back and leave a comment with a link to your blog to let us know you're spreading the word. You will be entered into a drawing for a $25 TE gift certificate.
2. Join us on Facebook for an early reveal of all the new stamp sets Wednesday night beginning at approximately 6 pm PST. You will have until 8 pm PST that night to comment to enter to win each new set.
3. Join us in our SCS Forum for a contest that will begin Thursday morning. In the meantime you can see Baker's Dozen sneak peeks there and chat with us!

Hello again everyone! I hope you thoroughly enjoyed all the sweet treat projects you saw yesterday...they sure were fun to take peeks at. :) Today we are going a totally different direction! From cutesy and fun yesterday to spooky and frightful today! Oh ok, some of it is so darned cute too! Like this little guy...

How adorable is this little guy trying to be all scary?! Him, as well as the spooky tree, bats, and graves, are all part of a new Halloween set called, Fangtastic. This amazingly HUGE set features a whopping 21 images/sentiments illustrated by Doug Applegate for Apple Doodle Ink. There are sooo many scenes to create and there is a FABULOUS large haunted house in this one as well...keep your eyes peeled for it when you hop around. :) There are also a couple of new elements that I used in my card here. Can you notice them?? How about that cool webbed background on my grey panel? That is actually the new Spooky Impression Plate, with one side spiderwebs and the other side Harlequinn. You will love it! Great use even beyond Halloween! Notice another element?? How about that spooky looking fence at the bottom of the main panel? That is the new Spooky Fence Taylored die and it is 6" long! And all the cardstock, patterned paper, and ribbon is straight out of the Spooky Project Pantry Kit. The Spooky Project Pantry Basic Recipe Kit is $11.95 and includes:
Echo Park Apothecary Emporium 6x6 pad
10 sheets of 8.5" x 11" cardstock in coordinating colors
6 yards of ribbon (2 yards each of 3 different styles)

When you go to the Spooky Project Pantry in the store you will see the optional items linked under the Basic Recipe kit, so you can pick and choose what you'd like to add to your cart. We know you'll have fun customizing your kit!

Also!!! With the purchase of the Halloween bundle, customers will receive a set of 10 assorted favor boxes free! Here's a sampling of a couple that I was able to put together quickly using a combination of the Basic Project Pantry Kit as well as the Spice It Up Ingredients!

Oh these little guys will be JUST PERFECT for putting Halloween treats together for the kiddos' classes. :) The boxes came together so quickly and with minimal adhesive too!

I actually coupled the new Fangtastic set with the Fright Night Favors set for my Batty Bites box and I love the new bat with it! TOO CUTE!!!

And finally my last treat box with just a fun pattern from the Spooky Project Pantry and a greeting from Fangtastic. Simple and FAST!! That's what we like, right? :)

Well I hope you haven't gotten too spooked! But prepare yourself as you venture on out to the other blogs...surely there might be something frightfully fun!!!!

Every order placed Thursday - Monday will include a FREE Party Favor. Details coming Thursday morning..

To celebrate our 3rd Birthday, you have 3 WAYS TO WIN!

1. Help Spread the Word! Grab our Birthday Badge from Taylor's blog and post it on your blog for the week. Then come back and leave a comment with a link to your blog to let us know you're spreading the word. You will be entered into a drawing for a $25 TE gift certificate.
2. Join us on Facebook for an early reveal of all the new stamp sets Wednesday night beginning at approximately 6 pm PST. You will have until 8 pm PST that night to comment to enter to win each new set.
3. Join us in our SCS Forum for a contest that will begin Thursday morning. In the meantime you can see Baker's Dozen sneak peeks there and chat with us!

So much going on and such an exciting week celebrating TE's 3rd Birthday! And to get things started with a bang, the Bakers' Dozen, along with Taylor will be sneaking quite a number of fun sets that are perfect for Birthday...along with many other occasions too! I got a chance to play with with a couple of sets today AND, of course, some coordinating dies to match. So, without further ado, let's dive right in!

This first card is from the new set called Build a Treat and is concepted by our very own super sweet Bakers' Dozen member, Sankari Wegman! Imagine this set being like Build a Bear, but with cupcakes and ice cream! SO CUTE!! Nancy McKinney, with her Whimsical Wishes line illustrated this just beautifully, and you get a whopping 30 images included on a 5.75" x 8.5" sturdy storage panel. And as always, these are stamps of deeply etched rubber in a cute shade of pink already trimmed for you and mounted on EZ Mount ready for your acrylic blocks! Of course, what fun are stamps these days without a fun coordinating die? Not as much fun, right?! My ice cream cone was stamped directly onto my cardstock panel, while my actual ice creams were stamped on scrap sheets and then colored with Copics and die cut using the coordinating Build a Treat Tops & Bottoms Taylored Die set. My cute little cherry on top? That's also a die! I LOVE this new little accessory die, called the Tiny Topper Taylored Die, that has a variety of cute little images perfect top your sweet treats with. For the rest of my card, I used polka dot patterned paper from Echo Park's Dots & Stripes Candy Shoppe and print paper from Echo Park's Victoria Garden paper pack.

Now I have another card for you using another set that also coordinates perfectly with the Build a Treat set, and that is the Build a Treat Borders set! Check it!

I went super Clean and Simple with my card just so you could see the perfect row of cute treats shown in the set. Now the Borders set has 5 borders in the set, ready for you to color or stamp boldly, and at 6" long each, plenty long for a cardfront or scrapbook page. Did I also mention that there is a die to match?? :) I bet if you hop around, you will be able to see it somewhere! It's called the Build a Treat Borders Taylored Die set.

Ok, lots to see my friends! We also have a new Guest Designer to introduce for the September/October months and she will be playing along with us all week long for sneaks! We are so happy to have Jen Shults and her blog, Deconstructing Jen!

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Hey everyone! Making this a short and sweet post. School is in full force here in the household and I feel completely overwhelmed after only the second day of school (in my Anatomy class!) Oh how easy the kids have it in their 2nd and Pre-K classes, LOL!

So, I stumbled on a pretty cool challenge over on the Cosmo Cricket blog to create a project featuring their papers, and, get this, the winner chosen will be published in an upcoming issue of Cards Magazine! Pretty cool, yeah?

Here is a little card that I put together for it. Oh yeah, and it was a sketch challenge!

Saturday, August 20, 2011

Hey everyone! Things have been crazy busy around here. I guess that's just the way summers from here on out are going to go. Last weekend I was in Cincinnati with Taylored Expressions for the Stampaway Rubber Stamping Convention and we stayed busy the entire day and a half of the show. It was mad busy but I really enjoyed it. If you were able to stop by and chat with me, I hope you leave a comment...would love to hear from you!! :)

Also, I came home last Sunday and tackled the disaster area known as my office/craft room. I really think that I was on the verge of becoming a hoarder. It, literally, took me 4 FULL days to purge everything that I haven't let go of over the course of 5+ years. And then to organize...whoa. I think I spent a lot of time just standing there scratching my head trying to figure out how to keep things organized. I'm still not finished, but I'll post a couple before/after photos at the end of my post just for funsies.

But onto today's crafty thing to share!! I created a holder for my IPhone (but it certainly can be used for placement of other nick nacks that you so choose) using the new Canvas Valise from Maya Road. This was a project that I created for CHA this past summer and definitely one of my favorites! You can see more photos and more details over on the Maya Road blog post HERE. I also had to create a card with one of the new sets, Blue Ribbon Sentiments.

I thought this would be a fun card to have on hand for my precious boy that starts 2nd grade next week. Like I said, more photos and closeups over on the Maya Road blog.

Now, are you ready to see the disaster known as my office/craft room? The before photos are taken with my phone, so forgive the lack of high quality. I'm holding out for the iPhone 5 next month. :)

This was my work space. It was an organized mess, but somehow I was able to maneuver my way around.

And the after with an upcoming project on my desk ready for me to tackle.

And this was a corner of my office. Many of my floor space you couldn't even walk on.

You can actually see some carpet, LOL!!! I also added an Ikea bookcase in my closet for some extra storage.

Ok, now I actually need to attack some of my crafting projects this weekend...the big dilemma now will be if I can actually find everything I've put away! I start an Anatomy class this coming Monday so I want to get as much done before MY school starts!! Have a great weekend crafting buddies! :)

Saturday, August 13, 2011

Hey everyone! Yes, I'm still around and still staying busy! This summer has just been filled with dance lessons, a big vacation, and quite a number of little road trips...not to mention a camping trip thrown in there. Did I mention it's really hot here in Texas?? Please feel free to send some relief ASAP!

Anyway, I didn't get a chance to play with the new Moka Jane from the Taylored Expressions August release and I could. not.wait to get her out and "play!" :) You know I love me my Country and Western dancing and country music...and well, anything Texas WITH my cowboy boots! Well, when I found out from Nancy that Jane's boots were inspired by the ones that I received (ie, bought for myself) on my birthday, I got doubly excited!

Isn't she adorable?? And I absolutely love the sentiment that I paired with her! I did a lot of paper-piecing to put her together but the rest of her was colored in with various Copics.

I even added a little dimension to her cute COWgirl skirt with some Glossy Accents. I know just who I'll be giving this card to, too! A special someone who goes dancing with me every week...never fail, through sweat and everything!

More projects from the Baker's Dozen to inspire you. Just follow the link list below.

Another chance to win... head on over to our forum and tell us your favorite stamp set from this release. We'll be choosing one person to win their favorite set FREE! You have until Saturday August 6th at 6 pm PST to enter to win.

Such an exciting day today! I just took a peek in the store and I can't wait to get to doing a little shopping myself!! Today, the Bakers are showing one more project, each of us showcasing at least one new set now available in the store. I am lucky enough to be revisiting the Joy to the World set. I know I've mentioned this already, but this set just makes me seriously long for the winter months here. They are pretty mild, but anything will beat the 50 days we have had of 100 degree weather we've had here. I'm melting here people!! Let me see this gorgeous Angel to cool me off. :)

I went with another very simple layout for my card here. Very easy to mass produce I think!! :) There is glitter on the Angel wings too...I know, very hard to see, but she just sparkles in person. That's what wings are for, right?!

Are you loving the new Joy to the World set plus Moka Angel and the Musical Swirls Impression Plate? Well, I just noticed that there is a bundle, which puts all of these items in your shopping cart with one simple click! Here's that link for enabling. :) Also, as always, there is the "I want it all" bundle available to you with a 5% discount! You can see that HERE. Happy shopping my friends!! And don't forget to see some more samples for inspiration here...

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

We have sneak peeks to share Monday through Wednesday. All of the new products will be available for purchase on Thursday, August 4th at 8 am PST. You'll find it all in the Fresh out of the Oven Department at the Taylored Expressions Store.

Join us as a fan on Facebook for an early peek at the stamp sets, as well as a SPECIAL Facebook GIVEAWAY, on Wednesday night beginning at approximately 6 pm PST.

Angel Bundle Prize Drawing: We're very excited to be supporting the Angel Tree with Joy to the World, the newest set in the TE Giving Tree Program. If you'd like to be entered to win our Angel Bundle Prize Pack (Joy to the World Full Sized Stamp Set, Angel Kisses Taylored Card Kit, and the Musical Swirls Taylored Impression Plate) simply click over to the Angel Tree website and find the answer to this question: "Name the founder of Angel Tree." (You'll want to read the touching story of how Angel Tree got started while you're there!) E-mail Taylored Expressions with the answer in the subject line of your e-mail by Wednesday at 6pm PST. The winner will be announced on Taylor's blog at approximately 10 pm PST Wednesday night.

Hello again everyone and I am so glad you are making it back for Day 3 of sneak peeks. Everything you have been seeing will be available for purchase tomorrow and I am just as excited as you are!! Today, we actually have a lot to share...something so near and dear to my little heart...all things country! You see, I'm in Texas and I love my cowboy boots, my attempt at big hair, and dancing to country music like it's nobody's business! :) Today, I get to share with you a snippet of the new full sized set, Wild West coupled with a new Moka, Moka Jesse. Wild West is a fun "west" themed-set filled with 16 country-inspired images/sentiments. And let me tell you, I just love the sentiments ya'll!! ;)

I went with a fairly simple card using at least 4 of the images from the set Wild West, and you can see Moka Jessepeering from behind the saloon doors. I have a good friend currently serving in the military in Afghanistan and I know he will LOVE this card!! So I created this one with him in mind...he's just like a brother to me! I started with some kraft cardstock and then used the WoodGrain Impression plate on my Choice Buttercream panel. I did some distressing on the sides and then stamped one of the border images from the set Wild West, all along the edges. Everything else was pretty simple to just add on! There are many more adorable sentiments to see, so be sure to hop around to the rest of the blogs to see more of this set as well as Moka Jesse and Moka Jane. There is also a new school-themed a la Carte in the mix perfect in time for school that begins in just a few short weeks! Hope to see you back here tomorrow for one final sneak and the big release!! Thanks for stopping by!Charmaine IkachDanielle LoundsJami SibleyJodi CollinsKaren GironMelissa SaulsMelody RuppleNancy McKinneyRegina MangumSankari WegmanTaylor VanBruggenTori WildWanda Guess

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

We have sneak peeks to share Monday through Wednesday. All of the new products will be available for purchase on Thursday, August 4th at 8 am PST. You'll find it all in the Fresh out of the Oven Department at the Taylored Expressions Store.

Join us as a fan on Facebook for an early peek at the stamp sets, as well as a SPECIAL Facebook GIVEAWAY, on Wednesday night beginning at approximately 6 pm PST.

Angel Bundle Prize Drawing: We're very excited to be supporting the Angel Tree with Joy to the World, the newest set in the TE Giving Tree Program. If you'd like to be entered to win our Angel Bundle Prize Pack (Joy to the World Full Sized Stamp Set, Angel Kisses Taylored Card Kit, and the Musical Swirls Taylored Impression Plate) simply click over to the Angel Tree website and find the answer to this question: "Name the founder of Angel Tree." (You'll want to read the touching story of how Angel Tree got started while you're there!) E-mail Taylored Expressions with the answer in the subject line of your e-mail by Wednesday at 6pm PST. The winner will be announced on Taylor's blog at approximately 10 pm PST Wednesday night.

Hello again and welcome to Day 2 of the Taylored Expressions sneak peeks!! I'm very excited to share 1 of 2 stamp sets that are being sneaked today. Some of us will be sneaking Embrace Beauty, but the other half, and myself, will be sneaking a set called Bugabee! This set was concepted by our very own Bakers Dozen member, Charmaine, and we are so excited for her!! It's an adorable set filled with 27 bold images/sentiments filled with the cutest ladybugs, bees, butterflies, and flowers. And the icing on the cake here...there are matching dies to available to go with! Actually, you can really stock up on the dies to go with this set...the Grass Border Die, Bugabee Flower Dies, Bugabee Bug Dies, AND the Lots of Dots Impression Plate. For my project today, I used the Bugabee Bug die and Lots of Dots Impression Plate. Check it...

Isn't it adorable!? Taylor, herself, actually illustrated this set for the TE line of stamps. Oh my...my most favorite thing about the bug dies is that it die cuts the little holes in the midst of the lady bug. Oh the possibilities are endless here! Here are the new die and Impression plate that I used.

Now I hope you will have the chance to hop around and see what everyone else has in store for you...many new surprises! :) Also, don't forget to come back and visit tomorrow for even MORE sneaks!!

Monday, August 1, 2011

We have sneak peeks to share Monday through Wednesday. All of the new products will be available for purchase on Thursday, August 4th at 8 am PST. You'll find it all in the Fresh out of the Oven Department at the Taylored Expressions Store.

Join us as a fan on Facebook for an early peek at the stamp sets, as well as a SPECIAL Facebook GIVEAWAY, on Wednesday night beginning at approximately 6 pm PST.

Angel Bundle Prize Drawing: We're very excited to be supporting the Angel Tree with Joy to the World, the newest set in the TE Giving Tree Program. If you'd like to be entered to win our Angel Bundle Prize Pack (Joy to the World Full Sized Stamp Set, Angel Kisses Taylored Card Kit, and the Musical Swirls Taylored Impression Plate) simply click over to the Angel Tree website and find the answer to this question: "Name the founder of Angel Tree." (You'll want to read the touching story of how Angel Tree got started while you're there!) E-mail Taylored Expressions with the answer in the subject line of your e-mail by Wednesday at 6pm PST. The winner will be announced on Taylor's blog at approximately 10 pm PST Wednesday night.

Hello everyone and welcome to day 1 of sneaks for the August release in just a few short days! Today, the team and I are getting in the Christmas spirit and introducing the latest addition to the Giving Tree Program!If you aren't familiar with the Giving Tree program, it is where one stamp set, each quarter, is selected to have a portion of its proceeds from purchases donated to a pre-selected charity. This month begins a new quarter and I'm so very excited about the charity Taylor has selected!

Taylor chose Angel Tree as the charity to support this quarter because it's something she has been involved with for many years through churches she has attended. Angel Tree is a program administered by Prison Fellowship whose Mission is to seek the transformation of prisoners and their reconciliation to God, family and community through the power of Jesus Christ. Angel Tree invites churches to provide Christmas gifts to the children of inmates across the country. Their website says :

"It starts with a gift. But it's so much more.Every child has a story. For 1.7 million American children, that story is filled with the abandonment, loneliness, and shame that comes from having a mom or dad in prison. At Angel Tree, we find ways to reach out to these children, by sharing Christ's love with them at Christmas and by developing year-round relationships. In the end, it's so much more than giving Christmas gifts-it's about restoring families."

We'd love to have you learn more about this wonderful charity and even possibly how you might get involved. So we have a special prize drawing planned! . If you'd like to be entered to win our Angel Bundle Prize Pack (Joy to the World Full Sized Stamp Set, Angel Kisses Taylored Card Kit, and the Musical Swirls Taylored Impression Plate) simply click over to the Angel Tree website and find the answer to this question: "Name the founder of Angel Tree." (You'll want to read the touching story of how Angel Tree got started while you're there!) E-mail Taylored Expressions with the answer in the subject line of your e-mail by Wednesday at 6pm PST. The winner will be announced on Taylor's blog at approximately 10 pm PST Wednesday night.

Now for a little information about the stamp set featured today! Today we are showing samples of the new stamp set, Joy to the World with the coordinating card kit, Angel Kisses Taylored Card kit! All of us will be showing you a simple, yet easily reproducible card that can be mailed in your standard envelope...just perfect for the Christmas holidays! Here is my sample of that...

The Joy to the World set features 21 images/sentiments, to include some gorgeous angels, on a sturdy full color 5.75" x 8.5" storage panel. This set was illustrated but our super talented Nancy McKinney for her Whimsical Wishes line of stamps. These sets are so versatile, they can be used year-round...not just for Christmas! And for some really fun news...all Giving Tree sets are now PRE-TRIMMED, just like the rest of the sets...no cutting involved! You will still be getting a set of deeply etched rubber in a cute shade of pink, mounted to EZ Mount and ready for your acrylic blocks!** $5 from the sale of each Joy to the World stamp set will be donated to Angel Tree from August 4th - October 31st **

...the team has made a second project...all of us a little something different! Mine is a version of my easy-made card, yet stepped up with added embellishments. :) You know that's right up my alley! ;)

Really...not too much of a change, but totally stepped up, right?? I think this version is pretty easily reproducible too...if you don't mind doing a little fussy-cutting. ;)For both cards, I colored my Angel in with Copics, in colors W1/2, E31/33/37, R81/83/85, RV69, Y35, YG95, G99, and R20. I also used the Medium Scalloped Border die and it cuts out a perfect scalloped panel that I could adhere right onto my card without further trimming. Everything else, is right out of the Angel Kisses Taylored Card kit! Details on the kit...